The Queer Review meets Spanish author Álex Beltrán, whose debut novel Little Rock was published earlier this year. Growing up in Valencia, Beltrán's love for storytelling took him to Los Angeles and New York to study film, leading to writing and directing the gay shorts, My Friend Jaime (Mi amigo Jaime) in 2013 and Lost... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Fraternity by Andy Mientus ★★★1/2
Broadway and television star Andy Mientus evokes the spirits of 1991 for his queer supernatural novel, Fraternity, set in... a fraternity. This is dark academia with 90s nostalgia, filled with the demons that young men face. We meet Zachariah “Zooey” Orson as he transfers to the elite Blackfriars School for Boys after leaving his old... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Jack’s On Fire by Owen Lach ★★★
Jack Martin’s life isn’t great right now. He’s being bullied at school by homophobes, lives with a parent who is at the end of her tether and hardly supportive, he’s full of talent but struggling to get by. Things change when Jack’s mum sends him away to San Francisco to live with his older brother.... Continue Reading →
Book Review: The Boy Who Sat By The Window by David Hodge ★★★★
Artist David Hodge and his longterm drag persona The Very Miss Dusty O have a complex relationship, and that's even after killing her off...twice. In his new memoir, The Boy Who Sat by the Window, Hodge takes us from his queer childhood in the 70s and 80s, through London’s vibrant Soho in the 90s and... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer ★★★★
Arthur Less is back. The titular star of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Less, is being put through the emotional ringer once more by his author Andrew Sean Greer and the results are the same. But the same isn’t a bad thing when you’re talking about a bestselling, universally praised, gay comedy drama with a slew... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Rise of the Renegade Child by Robert Roth ★★★★
Robert Roth has taken his queer action sci-fi set up and layered multiversal political intrigue into the mix. Rise of the Renegade Child deepens and expands the world of The Gates Saga, without sacrificing its frenetic pace. Picking up right after the events of the previous book, Into the Lightning Gate, Cam Maddock is reeling... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Out of the Blue by Jason June ★★★1/2
Nonbinary merpeople on a magical journey of self-discovery meets teen swim team relationship drama, Jason June (author of Jay’s Gay Agenda) has delivered a queer rom-com that’s, well, okay… silly and cheesy and a bit daft, but also adorable AF. Crest is about to start their Journey, a tradition for teen merfolk (mer are nonbinary,... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Heat Wave by TJ Klune ★★★
TJ Klune wraps up his YA superhero trilogy, The Extraordinaries, with Heat Wave which sees teenager Nick launching into his superhero career, as well as launching into his fully-fledged relationship with Seth. Quick note: being the last part of a trilogy, there’s no way to avoid spoilers for the previous books in this review. Nick... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Book Boyfriend by Kris Ripper ★★★★
If you’re looking for a cute, contemporary gay romance to snuggle up with then Kris Ripper’s Book Boyfriend is a good place to start. Behind it’s rom-com trappings, it has hidden depths and a beautifully flawed lead character in PK. Preston ‘PK’ Harrington is an editorial assistant (and wannabe author) working at a book publisher... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune ★★★★
For some people, life starts at 40. For miserable, corporate manager Wallace Price, life started when he died. Better late than never. TJ Klune’s new novel, Under the Whispering Door, takes his breezy fantasy stylings and tackles a love story beyond the grave. When Wallace attends his own sparsely attended funeral, he meets Mei—a reaper... Continue Reading →